In The Tiffin Box VII + How To Make Coffee Salt Scrub

Welcome to the first ‘In The Tiffin Box’ for the year. There’s just so much happening and the days are already flying past, here’s what’s I’ve squeezed in to my busy weekends and days off.

Queensland Faces
As always, there are a myriad of activities happening in the Queensland cultural precinct in South Brisbane and most of them area free. Many people have been visiting the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art at QAGOMA and it’s definitely worth multiple visits but I thought I’d tell you about a lesser known exhibition. The State Library of Qld is currently displaying photographs from their vast archive, exploring the theme ‘Queensland Faces’ and what it means to be a Queenslander.

There’s a small but interesting collection of photos on show, amongst my favourites being this one of these young boys as well as a BBQ party snapshot from the 1970’s that could have been taken in my own backyard. There’s also a chance to add your own Queensland Face via a selfie on Instagram using the hashtags #belongingqld and #queenslandfaces. Are you following me on Instagram?

We Heart Hair Fashion Coffee
Morningside is turning into quite the cool little suburb. What was once a sprawl of empty shops, ink cartridge sellers and former MP offices *waves at Kevin* now has a grittier edge to it. A mix of West End and Fortitude Valley is has a fabulous bakery, tea room, bar, tattooist and several coffee shops. We Heart Hair Fashion Coffee is a curious mix but, it does what it says on the label. As you walk in you’ll be greeted by the friendly barista who will either take your coffee order or send you towards the back of the shop for your hair appointment. In between, there’s locally made clothing, soft furnishings candles and nick nacks to look at whilst you’re waiting for your brew.

The space has tables outside or a few chairs inside if you want to leaf through the paper and sing along to what’s playing on the iPod or admire the quirky decor. There are a few snacky things to nibble on such as muffins and brownies but don’t go expecting a cooked breakfast. Coffee of choice is Aromas and, it must surely be one of the few places in town that doesn’t charge extra for decaf or soy (not that I’d be going anywhere near either). Our drink in coffee was served very hot, in takeaway cups, so perhaps that’s the norm to save on washing up. This is a fun little cafe that’s worth dropping into if you’re in the area where you’ll no doubt be greeted warmly, as were all those who visited on the day we were there.

Going Palm Oil (and Micro Bead) Free
Those who dip into the Tiffin Box regularly will know that where possible we are moving towards a palm oil free household. When I started writing about this, it posed some challenges in the pantry but these days, there are many alternatives to palm oil free food and big players such as Aldi (particularly their chocolate) and Arnott’s have made it much easier. Cutting palm oil out of non pantry items is still difficult. It’s in everything – toothpaste, face wash, shampoo… It never ends. And now we find out that tiny plastic micro beads are also in lots of things (toothpaste, face wash, shampoo…) and are killing marine life when the beads are washed into the ocean. So in the spirit of responsibility and taking some control back, I decided to make my own face and body scrub.

This scrub uses coconut oil (as I have a huge jar* that I’m not going to use all of in cooking) but you could easily substitute another neutral vegetable oil such as canola or olive. As a food fan, I had a selection of salts to choose from. Just go for a middle of the road salt crystal or flake, not the expensive truffle salt. Raw sugar can be substituted. The coffee grounds are drained from my coffee plunger. The caffeine is said to stimulate circulation.

Coffee Salt Scrub

Ingredients

2 parts coffee grounds (so it could be 2 tbsp or 2 cups or whatever measure you want to use)

1 part salt

1 part oil

Method

Mix together in a bowl and place in a clean jar

Store in your bathroom cupboard or shower and apply to damp skin as required (safe for face and body)

Rub in a circular motion to slough off rough skin and then rinse clean

You bet I’ll be making this! It’s winter and dry hands season and I’m out of my favorite sugar scrub. I’ll just make my own now. I have a handmade soap with coffee grounds I use in the kitchen which helps get rid of odors like garlic and I’m sure this scrub will do the trick too.